Jonah Hill got fed up with a photographer's comments about his outfit, and lashed out by hurling a gay slur at him, yelling ... "Suck my d***, you f*****!"

Hill was out in the Larchmont area of L.A. over the weekend when a couple paparazzi started asking questions. Hill kept silent ... even when one of the guys (not from TMZ) mocked his floral print board shorts, saying ... "I like the shorts though, bro. They are pretty sexy."

The photog followed Hill for another 40 seconds or so before wishing him a good day -- and that's when an obviously angry and frustrated Hill uncorked the homophobic slur.

Jonah's been a very vocal supporter of gay rights, and famously blasted Russia's anti-gay laws leading up to the Winter Olympics.

Hill called into The Howard Stern Show this morning to apologize for using the slur and voiced his support for the LGBT community:

"This is a heartbreaking situation for me...I'm upset...From the day I was born, and publicly, I've been a gay rights activist...This person had been following me around all day saying hurtful things. I played into exactly what he wanted and I said a disgusting word...It's bulls--t and I shouldn't have said that. I'm happy to take the heat for using this disgusting word. What I won't allow is for anyone - it would break my heart to think that anyone - especially with all the work that I've done and all the loved ones that I have - that I would be against anyone for their sexuality."

So to those of you opposed to Jonah Hill (whether you're gay, straight, bi or transgender) and think that he should be reprimanded in some way because he said it... I'm sorry, but are you insinuating that you've never done this?

You're saying that even as a person you've never called someone a racist, sexist, gender-based or otherwise inappropriate term in the heat of the moment? Out of sheer frustration?

Unless you are a god-fearing living-off-the-land devout Christian, Quaker or Amish person... I call bullshit. In fact, you use technology... which by association makes you even more likely to have cyber bullied, insulted or just been a truly nasty person at least once in your lifetime. Saying that because Jonah Hill is a celebrity and the word flew so freely from his mouth that it must be in his everyday language is baffling to me.
When will you realize that celebrities are people as well? Sure you yourself may never end up dating one or entering their glamorous lifestyles but that doesn't make them any less human. Paparazzi should not be violating their civil rights and imposing on their privacy more than snapping photos. Throwing negative insults no matter who you are or who they are directed towards is going to get a negative insult thrown back at you. "People in glass houses should not throw stones" is a great way to look at it I guess... because he's a celebrity and you feel his life is yours to comment on and judge, he shouldn't be allowed to get upset and say something negative?

What would have been more appropriate for him to have said? The N word? Or would it just be okay if he called the guy a f***er? So swearing is okay because there's no direct sex, race, sexual preference or age that could be determined by the casual swear word?

The devolution of the human language is laughable. Now girls call each other "sluts" or "bitches" and claim it's used with their best friends as an "endearing" and "cute" nickname. Black guys refer to other black guys as "nigga" and no one says a thing. A lot of guys refer to their good friends as the same thing and it's not looked upon as racist even though neither party is black because they say it in a casual way replacing "bro" and "dawg."

Stop being judgmental and crying "woe is me!" because a celebrity let a word you don't agree with come out of his mouth. Nowadays the sad truth is, no one even knows if it's used as a gay insult or as a descriptively offensive term for obnoxious people. Just like when 40 year old virgin came out, "you know why you're gay?" was a popular term used to throw at each other as banter between friends. Maybe that upset everyone as well... but these are sayings used nowadays, and while you may not agree... it's not going to suddenly stop. It's the generation we're currently in... and there's bigger issues out there than simply having stupid comments thrown about... no matter how insensitive they may seem. Kids/Young Adults now don't see them as what they mean to you, only what they mean to them... and they justify them with ignorance. Let this one go, not everyone should be a "public example." That doesn't make you right or better...

I don't think that anyone is calling for him to be hanged or sell his property as punishment... as is happening with Sterling. But it's pretty stupid to use this type of language publicly. And no, it's not okay for anyone to do it. That he said it after he was coerced, taunted and incited until he was boiling mad certainly is a different situation than if he were casually and knowingly throwing the term around in an insulting way.

i have to say i think you hit the nail right on the head i could not agree with you more. star or not they are people like anyone else and they are not perfect and make mistakes just like we all do and for anyone to have an issue needs to get over the high horse they are on and get over it.

Who cares if he's for gay rights like any one should be. Natural law sates any one has the right to do what ever they want as long as there right don't impede on another's rights. As for him using a word that offend others who cares he apologized to thos that allowed his words to offend them. He obviously is Pro natural rights.

No one is saying he doesn't have the right to say anything they want to say. But having the right to say something doesn't mean you are shielded from a response. That's why you should say things of value, and think before you speak.

The fact that this was the retort he automatically chose though raises some questions. He could have called him any number of names to express his frustration, but chose to use a bigoted slur. Perhaps he is so for sexual rights in public because he really is gay and just not ready to come out?

There's a lot of words we're not supposed to use, many of them I used to say for pretty much no reason.

What I've come to realize is that most of the time these words aren't used out of hate, like if I were to have called my car's constant issues "gay" I'm not comparing the gay society to the short comings of a Cavalier, I'm just lacking the proper vocabulary to come up with a word meaning what I'm trying to say, or even just the current level of "eloquence" to avoid pissing everyone off.

And growing up in the 90s, I was taught (not sure by who) that gay OR retarded could be interchanged with stupid, lame, ect. and it's not the easiest habit to break.

While I don't agree with people having to apologize for something they didn't use in a hateful manner, I also agree that we should probably work towards using better words for these situations just to avoid having people getting their underwear so far into their butt-cracks.

Long story short, Jonah, I know you were just pissed off. Everyone knows that.

I mean, look at that face, you really like that man hates "the gays"?
He seems like a normal dude that happened into fame, and normal dudes say far more offensive things than "faggot" and get away with it.

So, lets just say everyone needs to stop being such pussies and move on.

I personally think we live in a world that everything now has to be 'PC' and 'wrapped up in bubble wrap' otherwise everyone is going to 'shit a brick' over everything, it's not a world I want to raise kids in thats for sure.

Everyone will say something hurtful in their life to someone, be it a stranger or be it a family member, I know I have on many occasions and when I have said these things it was in a hateful way as I was angry or upset. I'm not at all trying to justify it but we all make mistakes that is what being a person is all about and apologizing and standing up and saying you 'fucked up' is all about learning from your mistakes.

I would rather have someone like Jonah Hill in this world as a role model because he stood up and said

''This is a heartbreaking situation for me...I'm upset...From the day I was born, and publicly, I've been a gay rights activist...This person had been following me around all day saying hurtful things. I played into exactly what he wanted and I said a disgusting word...It's bulls--t and I shouldn't have said that. I'm happy to take the heat for using this disgusting word. What I won't allow is for anyone - it would break my heart to think that anyone - especially with all the work that I've done and all the loved ones that I have - that I would be against anyone for their sexuality."

What are the rules? I call my friends fagabeefies all the time, is that OK? Is it OK if I'm gay? What if I was straight? Do my friends have to be gay or straight for it to be OK, or is it ever OK? Is it OK because it's a derivative of the word "fag" or "faggot". Is it OK if I'm British and I'm asking for a cigarette? What if I'm British and I ask for a cigarette from a gay guy? When is it OK to be offended by these words?

You should stop saying "fagbeefies" because it's idiotic and you're probably not ten years old anymore. Or better yet, just stop it with the trash mouth altogether and not have to worry about any of it.

I just want to put it out there that too many people take words too personally. We have better things to do with our time than sit here and blame others. We have all said something in the heat of the moment that we didn't mean.

He he said he was sorry so get over it. Move on people and direct your energy and focus towards things that can make a difference in our world.

I'm tempted to bring up an episode of "South Park". Remember the episode that starred the obnoxious, attention-grabbing Harley riders? The schoolboys called the bikers "faggots" not because they were homosexual, but because they were obnoxious, rude, and impossibly annoying. when the kids were confronted about their slur, their response was pretty damn funny: "Ohhh dude... they think we meant gay fags. Mayor, that's totally not cool! Just because someone is gay, doesn't make them a fag."

I know the slur f****t is offensive to many people, and Jonah has the responsibility as a popular actor/role model to be more mature than most. But he called that paparazzi a f****t because he was being invasive, rude, and immature. Not because the cameraman preferred penis. He used an insult that, I believe, nowadays is applicable to all rude individuals.

I say let it go. It was said in the heat of the moment. As a gay man I've said "you fucking breeder" before to my straight friends. That was also said in the heat of the moment but we move on after an apology

I think the reporter got what he deserved! I'am gay and I would have done the same thing if harassed by an ass hole... leave jonah alone, some people are so quick to judge but they weren't the one's being harassed. we all said something we regret saying while being attacked.

Not accepted !! APOLOGISE O SAME STREET IN FRONT OF GENERAL PUBLIC THE WAY HE RANTED OUT SLUR EARLIER !!! BUT MAYBE HE DOESNT HAVE THE BALLS OR MAYBE THEYRE HIDDEN UNDER THOSE FABS OF FAT !!!FAT FUCK !

And you , a fucking idiot !!! You dontvwanna start a show of slurs here you morone I just gave my comment as everyone else !!! You wanna make it personal ? Dude I have a dictionary of them ! Bring it on !

Should we give him the same forgives that if it had been a black photographer and he called him a N word ? Do you think that would be a bigger issue if that was the case ? Why is calling a gay a slur forgivable , but calling blacks the N word somehow unforgivable in Hollywood or politics , or sports , such as Donald Sterling expressing his hate ???

Yes. The difference is that people have low expectations of Beiber and just don't can't be bothered.

And the difference with Sterling, if you listen to the recording, was that he was in his home being secretly recorded by his so-called "girlfriend" who had a motive and was baiting him every time he attempted to disengage from the conversation.

I don't know that HIll is one of our allies. But I do know people say all sorts of stuff when they're being antagonized.

i don't care if he wants to use the word , cause i am not into censorship in anyway , just do not say you are a supporter of gays when your not . A true supporter of gays would no more use that word even in a fit of rage , than someone who is a supporter of the black community and black rights would use the N word if they were true supporters of their causes . Someone who cares about gays , even under duress is not going to have that word in their vocabulary at all . Anger does not cause one to say the wrong words , we all know this ...These Hollywood types act as though they support certain groups only to further their careers only ... but whatever .. he is free to say what he likes , i just do not like the falseness of it . I could be super pissed off at a black guy who is annoying me all day , i am not going to become so angry as to call him the N word to his face out of rage , i would just simply use a different non derogatory word that does not put down his race or in this case gender .

False! I am a strait man who plays rugby for a Midwest D1 liberal arts university. Not only do I have many friends in the LGBT community, but I also have teammates. 90% of our women's club is Gay or Bi. Funny story....true story. THEY SAY "SLURS" ALL THE TIME!!!! I have literally heard my lesbian friends even call strait people "faggot" or "pillow-biter" or any number of other slurs in "fits of rage." WORDS ARE WORDS. Hill would have called that razzi a faggot and told him to suck his dick no matter if the guy was gay, strait, black, white, short, tall. He went for the most emotionally charged insult you can give to someone without pinpointing anything specific. So would most people. For example....I have LITERALLY found myself saying the words "fuck you, nigga" to white guys on many occasions. Does that mean that I do not support the black community? Does that mean that I'm a racist? I think not. By the way....I'm black. So if a black person can openly, in a fit of rage, call a white guy a "nigger" (basically), then it should be understood that words are just words and sometimes we choose the wrong one in shitty situations. Also....people use the word Faggot outside of calling someone gay. I know that this is shitty vernacular, but it exists. Many times, people are literally saying the words Faggot to describe an annoying person who does or says something so annoying and counterproductive that you have no other word to describe them. Kinda like when I am calling someone a "little bitch." I am not actually referring to them as small stature with feminine qualities (seeing as the word bitch has been tied to misogyny, as faggot has been tied to anti-gay actions). I'm actually calling them a word that many people brains associate with being an annoying, counterproductive, little fuck. I couldn't even think of a word that wasn't a "bad word" because nothing packs as much power as such a device.....other than a fist. This is why I can completely understand Jonah Hills reaction and his disgust with himself after realizing what he had outspokenly proclaimed.

As young as Jona may be he still grew up in a different generation. A generation where F@gg*t is the most offensive insult you could hurl at another individual. Even the biggest of allies (straight or LGBT) when pushed too far will revert back to the saying the most hurtful comment one can muster. It’s not a matter of being homophobic its human nature. It’s an unconscious and unintentional response when an individual reaches their breaking point. Thankfully most people in our youngest generation don't have this instinctual response because of families, communities, and campaigns who have educated them regarding the damage it inflicts. I even applied this logic to Alec Baldwin (a LGBT ally) and his recent remarks when the paparazzi ignite an uncontrollable rage within him. Our default is to yell the foulest insult at our perpetrator; sadly due to years of neglect that word is often F@gg*t. However, even a dog knows the difference between being tripped over and being kicked. Let’s not damn an individual based upon being a victim of generational circumstance. The only way to solve this issue is through educating each other and not by excommunicating everyone who’s had an error in judgment. Let’s applaud a decent human who gave a genuine apology while holding himself accountable for the mistake he made.

I appreciate an outright apology much more than some long-winded excuse or rationalization as to why he didn't mean it or that it's really okay because his friends are gay and they say it to each other. Make an meaningful apology and provide less fodder for the press, and move on.